Friday Five: Life, Caring, Healing

The Friday Five is our weekly roundup of links to smart articles and helpful resources across the Web.

1. A few times in previous Friday Five columns, I've recommended articles by Los Angeles Times writer Steve Lopez. He's been writing a series of columns related to issues of death and dying, issues that have hit close to home as he assists his aging father. In this audio interview on The Madeleine Brand Show, Lopez shares his personal story about his father and how he's started to consider quality of life. It's an especially insightful moment when he states that we're prolonging death, not life.

2. For the technologically connected caregiver, here's a great list of caregiving apps from a LeadingAge article. "Caregiving: There's an App for That" offers a list of apps that garnered some attention in 2011. It's a great variety of apps that include determining geographical location, keeping track of appointments and meds, reminder alerts, and even one for measuring blood glucose to manage diabetes.

3. I stumbled upon The Modern Mourner earlier this week. It's a blog dedicated to exploring ways to mourn and cherish memories of loved ones who have died. She states that she is "on a quest to find new ways to honor the lives of those we love." She elevates mourning into something lovely, looking at unique ways to repurpose the items of our loved ones, or pretty ways to capture memories.

4. At the beginning of December in a previous Friday Five, I shared a link to a Zocalo Public Square article entitled "How Doctors Die." It's still being passed around in hospice and palliative medicine circles online, and being widely discussed for its insightful look into the fact that most doctors would choose less intervention at the end of life for themselves, even if they continue to offer more intervention to their patients. Our favorite blog, The New Old Age Blog, followed up with the author of the article in this blog update, "When Doctors Face Death."

5. I have to admit, this one isn't very hospice related, but it is grief related, and personal to us as members of the Tucson community. This Sunday will mark the one-year anniversary of the January 8 shooting at a Gabrielle Giffords "Congress on Your Corner" event at a Safeway, just down the street from the administrative offices of Casa de la Luz Hospice. Some events have already taken place this week, and more events are scheduled throughout the coming weekend. They are events designed to not just honor the lives lost, but also events designed to honor the spirit of our city as we looked for ways to heal and celebrate the lives lost. Remembering January 8th honors the spirit of Tucson, the way a city came together in kindness to build an atmosphere of healing. We are honored to be part of this community.